Is It Logical To Use Logic?

Dear friends,

The spiritual explanation for intellect that we are given is that it is the separation of subject and object, and can only be applied to material things.

Let's examine this. Well, we can't! To examine it is to use intellect, and that is what they tell us is wrong! Well, I'm going to examine it, anyway.

Try explaining the cause of wind by dividing into subject and object. There's wind, and there's me. That doesn't explain much. Try dividing principles against each other. There's the sun and there's the air. That's as far as you go.

What do we really do when we think? The whole method of logic is deriving from what has gone before. If you know that A is true, you can conclude that B is true. How do you do this? If we separate A from B, we have that B is different from A, and therefore cannot be derived from it. There must be another way.

When we derive B from A, this requires that there is an inter-relationship between B and A. This is nothing to do with separation. It's the opposite. In like manner, we make all subsequent steps to the conclusion which we know to be true, and therefore what is logical is true and what is true is logical.

Apply it to the cause of wind. The heat of the sun heats the air, which causes it to expand, which makes it lighter, so it rises. This creates low pressure so that more air flows in. This is all done by inter-relating principles. The intellect inter-relates, and it can be applied to anything containing inter-relationship. Inter-relationship is the basis of harmony, and the spirit is harmonious. That means that the intellect can be applied to the spirit.

If there were no logic in the spirit, there would be no inter-relationship. Things would clash violently against each other. It would be utter chaos. The reason why we want spiritual progress is because we expect the spiritual state to be better than the material one. If all inter-relationship is material, it would be better to stay in the material state.

We use logic in small ways all the time. If we are hungry, we eat. That's logical. If we want something we haven't got, we go to a shop that sells it. That's logical. If we did the illogical thing every time, life would be utter chaos.

All thinking is inter-relation and therefore has a harmonising effect. It gives stability to the mind and to our devotions. It is of spiritual benefit.

Some people say that to use logic is to force an artificial system on things, and therefore is violent. If you look at the explanation for the cause of wind, you will see that I have forced nothing onto it. I have observed it as it is. If I had not, it would not be the explanation.

Intellect is the means of ensuring politeness in debate. You explain your principles without trying to create any impression of your opponent's character, to use emotive effect or express contempt. To do so is not logical argument, because it proves nothing.

People strongly attached to principles which they can't justify will try to argue illogically, which undermines the mental faculties.It makes it important to accept the truth in whatever form it is found.

May She be with you,

David.